Both distilled and filtered water can be good for indoor plants, but the best choice depends on the type of plant and the quality of your tap water.
For everyday houseplants, filtered water is typically adequate, but distilled water is better for delicate species or in areas (like ours) with hard tap water.
Distilled Water
TIP: if you don't want to purchase distilled water or use filtered water, you can fill your watering can with tap water and let it sit for 24 hours. This is primarily done to allow chlorine, a common chemical in tap water, to evaporate, making the water safer for most plants.
Key points about letting water sit before watering plants:
Distilled Water
- Pros: Free of minerals, salts, and chemicals like chlorine. Ideal for sensitive plants like orchids or carnivorous species that are prone to mineral buildup.
- Cons: Lacks natural minerals that some plants can benefit from over time.
- Pros: Removes impurities like chlorine and heavy metals while retaining beneficial minerals. Suitable for most indoor plants.
- Cons: May not remove all harmful chemicals or salts, depending on the filter quality.
- Sensitive Plants: Use distilled water to avoid mineral buildup in plants like orchids or those in pots with no drainage.
- General Houseplants: Filtered water is often sufficient and more cost-effective.
- Tap Water Quality: If your tap water is very hard (high in minerals), distilled water is a better choice.
- Rainwater: As a natural alternative, rainwater is an excellent option for most plants.
TIP: if you don't want to purchase distilled water or use filtered water, you can fill your watering can with tap water and let it sit for 24 hours. This is primarily done to allow chlorine, a common chemical in tap water, to evaporate, making the water safer for most plants.
Key points about letting water sit before watering plants:
- Not all chemicals are removed: while letting water sit removes chlorine, it doesn't remove other minerals like fluoride which may be a concern for particularly sensitive plants.
- Consider your water source: if you have well water with minimal chlorine, you may not need to let it sit out.
- Chlorine removal: the main reason to let water sit is to let chlorine, which can be harmful to plants in high concentrations, dissipate into the air.
- Time needed: most experts recommend letting tap water sit for at least 24 hours to effectively remove chlorine.
